@Mimi76 .. As Replytoken has stated , BEWARE that some sellers rate their gear as Mint ,,example of that would be mostly in China & Japan where they state Mint . however they have a totally different rating system than we do for used gear ,especially Lenses and Camera bodies , They have ,Mint - Mint + , Mint + + .. so their used Lens thats selling as Mint + may very well be of average condition Or B Grade, so Do tread carefully in that respect OR purchase from local dealers were its easier to return goods if they are not in the condition you expected ..
Having said that , in regards to Used gear , I have 9 lenses and only 1 was purchased brand New , the other 8 were purchased Used from various dealers/private sellers without any hassle and in fantastic condition at a fraction of the cost .. I`m more than happy to buy Used Lenses at way less than they would cost Brand New ... I`ve saved a small fortune doing this and will continue to buy used as most of the gear is way beyond what I could afford if I were buying it New..
Harry.G
PS ..I`ve never purchased Anything Used from China or Japan for the reasons stated above ^^^^^ ,, Im in the UK ....